"Shinob", known as "Esprit" (
Design[]
The TCG name of the series derives from "shinobi", another word for "ninja". The only member that's undoubtedly a shinobi is "Shinobird Crow" (whose Japanese name reads "Esprit Bird - Shinobigarasu").
The Ritual Monsters in the series are based off the story of Tanabata, which translates to "Evening of the seventh"), and is also known as the Star Festival (星祭り Hoshi matsuri).
A Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival, it celebrates the reunion between the deities Orihime (represented by "Shinobaroness Peacock") and Hikoboshi (represented by "Shinobaron Peacock"). Both are represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively. According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August.
| Shinob card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Shinobaron Peacock / Shinobaron Shade Peacock | Hikoboshi |
| Shinobaroness Peacock / Shinobaroness Shade Peacock | Orihime |
| Shinobird Crane | Crane |
| Shinobird Pigeon | Pigeon |
| Shinobird Crow | Raven |
Playstyle[]
The main strategy of a typical "Shinobird" deck is to clear the opponent’s board in order to attack for a potential OTK. "Shinobaron" works on bouncing monsters to the hand while "Shinobaroness" focuses on Spell and Trap cards by returning them to the deck. Being Spirit monsters, they have that downside of returning to the hand, but they make up for it by leaving behind two "Shinobird Tokens" to replace the card advantage lost to Ritual summon them.
Both cards also allow you to cheat out a Level 4 or lower Spirit monster (the former from the hand, the latter from the deck) to the field, and since it’s not normal summoned, can remain on the field and not return to the hand. The best choice for this effect is typically "Amano-Iwato" because of its effect that prevents monster effects from activating unless they’re Spirit monsters. This forms a decent lockdown since it’ll remain on the field.
In order to get past monsters that might negate the effects of the "Shinobird" cards before they resolve, one can pick apart the opponent’s board with monsters that can tribute summon themselves to their field like "Santa Claws" or "Kaiju" cards. Another alternative is usually in the card "Dark Ruler No More", which will negate the effects of your opponent’s monsters to allow you to more easily get rid of them. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to inflict damage that same turn though.
Being Ritual monsters as well, they benefit from the multitude of support cards, and "Pre-Preparation of Rites" can search both Ritual monsters and their corresponding Ritual spell. The "Impcantation" cards also boost the consistency of the deck while also serving as tribute fodder once they’re special summoned. Being a Ritual based deck, "Pot of Extravagance" can be used for draw power as you don’t typically use the extra deck.
- Fairy Tail - Luna
- Garuda the Wind Spirit
- Harpie Dancer
- Hunter Owl
- Impcantation cards
- Kaiju cards
- Kujakujaku
- Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands
- Mariamne, the True Dracophoenix
- Mystical Fairy Elfuria
- Senju of the Thousand Hands
- Silpheed
- Sonic Bird
- Vanity's Ruler
- Windrose the Elemental Lord
- Yosenju Misak
- Shinobird's Calling
- Shinobird Power Spot
- Stars Align Above the Shrine
- Burial from a Different Dimension
- Dark Ruler No More
- Double Summon
- Execution of the Contract
- Impcantation Inception
- Interrupted Kaiju Slumber
- Pot of Acquisitiveness
- Pot of Extravagance
- Preparation of Rites
- Pre-Preparation of Rites
- Quill Pen of Gulldos
- Sonic Tracker
- Super Polymerization
- Swallow's Nest
- Trade-In
Weaknesses[]
As the main Ritual monsters are all about clearing the opponent’s established board, the deck doesn’t really have any options for going first. This can be circumvented if you choose to run "Amorphactor Pain, the Imagination Dracoverlord" and summon it when you go first as it has a decent lockdown effect, or you can run "Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon" if you want a more offensive option (both can be ritual summoned with "Impcantation Inception"). Another going first option can be to run "Cyber Angel Benten" to search out an oppressive monster like "Vanity's Ruler" or "Angel O7" for your first turn (although the latter locks you out of monster effects as well).
Cards that prevent special summoning like the "Vanity's" cards, "Jowgen the Spiritualist", "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo" and "Archlord Kristya" can be particularly deadly to the deck, along with "Dimensional Barrier", which can completely lock you out of Ritual monsters for a whole turn.
Trivia[]
- Both "Shinobaron Peacock" and “Shinobaroness Peacock" became several things:
- They’re the first Ritual monsters with an ability, being Spirit.
- They’re the first Winged Beast Ritual monsters.
- They’re the first WIND Ritual monsters.
- The effect of the Ritual monsters to summon Tokens once they return to the hand represents, in terms of lore, the feathers they leave behind once they return to the spirit world.
References[]
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